The effects of home blood pressure monitoring on blood pressure control and treatment planning

OBJECTIVES: Blood pressure monitoring is essential in hypertension, which is an important public health issue. Our objective was to compare the rates of blood pressure control and to investigate factors that affect blood pressure control in patients with hypertension. METHODS: The records of 1006 patients with hypertension were examined retrospectively. The blood pressure control rates of the 394 patients who measured their blood pressure at home (group 1) and those who did not (group 2) were compared. RESULTS: In group 1, the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 123.91±12.63/78.64±8.92 mmHg measured at home, whereas it was 140.31±20.56/85.76±11.55 mmHg in the office setting (p<0.0001). In the total group (N=1006), the blood pressure control achievement rate was 56.1%. The number of cardiovascular events, hypertension duration, and the rate of being employed was higher in group 1 (p<0.0001, p<0.0001 and p=0.0001, respectively), while heart rate and grade 3-4 retinopathy was lower in group 1 (p<0.0001 for both) . Occupational status, geographical origin, BMI and the use of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors were found to be the determinants of office BP control (p<0.05, p<0.05, p=0.001 and p<0.05, respectively), and BMI and grade 3-4 retinopathy findings were found to be the determinants of home BP control (p <0.05 for both). CONCLUSION: Home blood pressure monitoring is useful in preventing complications and achieving therapy compliance and is essential in diagnosis and treatment planning of hypertension.